The Originals: NoLa Queen
by Ruby Red-ink
Summary: If Caroline had left Mystic Falls behind immediately following graduation to forge a new path for herself in New Orleans alongside Klaus and the Original family.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm a little late to the game on this particular idea, but once I got into watching The Originals, I couldn't help but to think how different (and awesome) it would have been with Caroline included. I'm going to do my best to tell a version of the show that features her from the beginning. Obviously some things will be different, but I hope to still keep as true as possible to the show. For the purposes of this story, I'm not sure how much I'll include the happenings of the Mystic Falls gang. As they aren't mentioned too much in The Originals, I don't foresee including them much here either. This picks up right at the end of the Klaroline scene at the end of season 4. **

They left the football field arm-in-arm, only half paying attention to their surroundings and any would-be killer ghosts. The rest of their attention was focused on each other; being in the presence of one they'd gone so long without. It was like coming home. As they neared Caroline's house — having walked to spend as much time together as possible — she spoke up.

"You know, my graduation gift, that was very sweet of you. Tyler deserves happiness, wherever he can find it."

Klaus found himself in a puzzled silence, hoping she would perhaps clarify.

"But I wonder," she continued, "is it too late to take you up on the offer of a visit to New Orleans?" There was a slight timidity to her voice; she wasn't sure if his answer had changed.

"Caroline, are you serious?" He was entirely floored by her, and not for the first time.

"Yes. And before you ask, I am beyond sure about it. Will you give me a little time to get some stuff together and leave my mom a note?"

"Of course love, take all the time you need. I'll just grab my car and be back to get you." He walked away from her but turned on his heel to speak again. "By the way, it's quite a long drive, be sure to wear something a little more comfortable." He smirked at her and then left, not seeing her shake her head at his antics.

He returned not long after — he took his own advice and changed into his signature boots, jeans, jacket, and Henley — fully expecting to see her in mid-pack-freak-out mode, but was instead surprised to find her sitting in the living room, waiting on him and her stuff by the door. He raised his eyebrows and spread his arms in question.

"Okay, maybe I wasn't entirely forthcoming. I've been planning this trip for a while and I decided that whether I saw you today or not, I would be leaving for New Orleans right after graduation," she explained standing up to meet him. "So, ready to go then?" She was all smiles and sun.

Klaus nodded, still somewhat in shock. They reached the front door and he helped her gather her luggage while she removed an envelope addressed to her mother from her bag and placed it on the table by the door. She followed him out and into the waiting SUV.

Through their first half hour of traveling, Klaus was at war with himself about whether or not, or even how, to tell Caroline about what he had discovered in New Orleans. On the one hand, she was going to find out anyway and he'd much rather it came from him. On the other, he wasn't all too keen on telling her of his indiscretion, even if it had been fueled by alcohol and rejection.

In the end, he decided to wait until they were a little further along in their drive, at least several hours away, lest she be tempted to ditch him completely and head back to Mystic Falls.

"It's pretty late, love, you should try to get some rest. As I said, long journey, and I'm not sure even you could fill the 13 hour drive with scintillating conversation."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Wake me if you wanna switch or something."

She was just getting ready to attempt to make a pillow out of her folded arms, having already decided her jacket made an excellent blanket, when he handed her his own balled up jacket. She took it with a small thanks and he smiled before turning his eyes back to the road. She tried to ignore the distinct Klaus-smell that suddenly surrounded her and eventually was able to nod off.

A few hours later, Caroline was much more well-rested and Klaus entirely unchanged, if perhaps a bit pensive. Apparently driving for hours on end didn't particularly phase a centuries old hybrid. The sun was just barely risen when she deemed herself conscious enough to hold a conversation.

"So, where are we?"

"Somewhere in the middle of Tennessee. You're awfully adorable when you sleep you know," he said with a little smirk.

She groaned and slapped her hand to her forehead, "I didn't drool did I?"

He laughed. "No, but you talk. Mostly incoherent gibberish but I did catch my name a time or two."

"Great. That's just awesome."

"No worries love. As I said, it was downright adorable."

"Ugh, fine. Can we just…change the subject here?"

"Actually Caroline, there is something that I need to tell you. But I'm not quite sure how you'll react."

The lighthearted mood evaporated quickly. She turned in her seat to look directly at him, her face full of concern.

"I didn't kill anyone, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't, but thanks for making that clear. Now seriously Klaus, what is it?"

He sighed, long and deep, and kept his gaze trained on the road as he spoke.

"You remember that wolf girl Hayley?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, back in Mystic Falls, she and I had…what you might call a drunken one night stand. And apparently because of my hybrid genes or because the universe delights in my suffering she is now pregnant with my child."

A beat of stunned silence.

"Are you serious?!" One glance at his agonized expression told her the truth. "Oh my God," she brought her hands to her mouth, "you're completely serious."

Caroline leaned back in her seat, hands still over her mouth and stared straight ahead.

The silence seemed to stretch on for eternity. Klaus knew he needed to give her time to process such information, but Caroline's uncharacteristic reserve was breaking him to pieces.

"Caroline love, please say something. Yell, rage at me, please, I deserve it, just please say something."

Despite his pleading, he still wasn't sure she was going to answer until she spoke ever so quietly.

"I'm not angry Klaus. I'm…sad."

He was momentarily relieved before the confusion set in. Sad? She continued:

"I know we didn't exactly have an exclusive thing so I'm not really mad that you slept with her. Besides you don't seem to like her all that much, so I don't foresee a repeat of _that_ happening." She glanced over at him.

"Definitely not."

She nodded and smiled a little. "Just checking."

"Are you going to tell me why you're sad then? I realize I am not the ideal candidate to be a father but —."

"No, no, it's not that," she interrupted. "It's just…well, I've never been a big fan of Hayley to begin with, and to find out that she gets to have the one thing I never will just breaks my heart. I'm sad that I'll never get to have a baby with the man I love…not that I'm saying she loves you or anything. She doesn't, right?" She sounded unsure.

"God no. I assure you, the dislike is entirely mutual."

She chuckled; glad to know she at least wouldn't have to contend with that.

"If it's any consolation, sweetheart, were this to happen with anyone, I would have made an entirely different choice in mothers." He gave her a significant look that left her flustered and just a tad overheated.

She cleared her throat and tried to think of literally anything else to say, but nothing would come. He'd successfully rendered her speechless. He decided to show her a little mercy.

"There are some things that you will need to be aware of while in New Orleans, love. Firstly that Hayley will be around, for her protection as well as the child's. Secondly, she is in need of protection because New Orleans is currently under rule of a tyrant named Marcel, who, incidentally, I raised, mentored, and turned. He cleared the city of werewolves and I seriously doubt he wouldn't find a hybrid child a threat, ergo, the protection. Which means that you will have to be just as careful. Marcel could end up trying to use you as leverage against me, so watch yourself. Rebekah and Elijah are both there to help watch over Hayley and now you as well."

"I can look after myself Klaus. Alaric taught me a few things when he was teaching Elena. I was actually going to offer my help with Hayley. I can run whatever errands she needs and even stay at the house and keep an eye on her. I figured I'd pass myself off as an old friend of Rebekah's or something. Since saying that I'm your…girlfriend? I guess? Might cause some problems."

"Girlfriend will work; I suppose that is the contemporary term for it. I do love your intelligence love. We'll stick with that for now and in the mean time, you will be extra careful about whom you talk to. There's no way you can get into New Orleans without Marcel knowing, so when you meet him…"

"I'll be just fine Klaus. I wouldn't be sitting here with you if I didn't know how to handle myself around psychotic killer vampires."

"Very funny sweetheart. But I'm serious. Marcel is no one to mess around with. He has an iron hold on the witches in the city. I watched him kill a witch just for practicing magic in the Quarter. He doesn't allow any kind of magic in _his_ city," Klaus warned.

"God, what a jerk. So what's the plan for Marcel? Because I know for a fact that you aren't just going to let that fly."

"Right you are love. But for now, I am playing the long game. As much as I dislike saying it, Hayley is the priority right now and Marcel must believe that I am on his side. While I'm busy playing the long lost friend to dear Marcel, I am also working towards infiltrating his inner circle and dismantling it piece by piece. I will relish the look on his face when it all comes crashing down around him."

"You're a little creepy sometimes, you know that?"

Klaus simply laughed in response. He was indeed, but it got the job done.

"Well, if you need me to do anything to help with the dismantling, let me know."

He was surprised at her willingness. "I will. You're just jumping in head first aren't you love?"

"I plan on making myself useful while I'm in New Orleans, in whatever way I'm needed."

Klaus was thoughtful for a moment before speaking again.

"Caroline, I want you to know, while I appreciate you offering your help, I do not intend to use you for my own gain. I want you in New Orleans solely because I would like to spend time with you. I'll not be using you for any plots against Marcel. In short, you will not be bait in any sense of the term," he finished giving her a pointed look.

She looked away, ashamed of her past experiences with him. "Yeah, I'm sorry about…all of that."

"I'm not. Not for my part anyway; it did allow me the chance to get to know you. I am sorry that your friends did not see fit to treat you better. You are a queen amongst them, Caroline, and they should have known that."

"Klaus I…thank you. You're the first person who's ever really seen me that way."

"How unfortunate. The world should see you that way."

She gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Don't you think you're just a little bit biased?"

"Never. I am ever the objective one, love."

They continued their drive chatting back and forth about life in New Orleans and even some about each other's past. Caroline felt he needed to know just how fortunate he was to never have met her before she turned. And he in turn felt she should know that he was once a very human man — emotions and all. They laughed together and Caroline felt more buoyant and cheerful than she had in quite a while. It baffled her that she could ever feel so at ease around someone like Klaus. And Klaus…well, he hadn't felt so exuberant and calm in centuries.

They crossed into Louisiana, just a few hours from their destination. Klaus still felt a bit of trepidation at having Caroline so near to the dangers that lurked in every nook in cranny, but he knew what she was capable of. While he wouldn't quit worrying about her, he did trust her. That didn't mean she'd necessarily be going anywhere alone, however. Despite his unease, he couldn't wait to have Caroline in the city that he so adored.

**A/N: It's a start. Here's to hoping we don't crash and burn! Hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

The house was enormous; like she really expected anything different from the Mikealsons. Caroline stood in the foyer of a quintessential southern plantation mansion, complete with an apple orchard just a few steps outside. She'd seen some beautiful places in Mystic Falls, but this one really took the cake. She realized she might just find herself acclimating to living in the south a little bit quicker than she thought.

"Welcome home, Niklaus. I trust your time away has done you some good…" his voice trailed off when he saw her standing just behind Klaus. "Miss Forbes, I believe. I was not aware that my brother would be returning with a guest."

Of course adjusting would be a tad bit more difficult with Klaus's family involved. She'd almost forgotten about them. Almost.

"Brother, Caroline will be staying with us for the foreseeable future, please help me to keep our sister in line. Caroline has assured me that she has no intent in antagonizing anyone here and wants only to help in whatever way she can."

At Elijah's questioning look, Caroline elaborated.

"I want to help Hayley with the baby and help you guys take down this Marcel guy."

"Okay then. As long as you endeavor to help us, I will try to ensure that your stay with is as comfortable as possible. And if that means keeping Rebekah on a leash, then so be it."

Klaus placed his hand on Caroline's back to lead her upstairs.

"Let's get you settled in then love, shall we?"

The staircase creaked in that beautifully antique way of old houses as they ascended, Caroline secretly hoping the entire way that she could put off the reunion with the resident females for as long as possible.

They reached the second floor and Klaus led her towards the end of the hallway.

"You can of course choose whichever vacant room you like, but I thought perhaps I'd offer you this one first, unless you'd like to move into my room," his tone was only slightly suggestive.

She glanced over at him and smiled. "Thanks but no thanks. I'd like to take things a bit slowly. After all, we have eternity don't we?"

They stopped in front of the last door on the left. He kissed her, long and sweet, and pulled away to place his hand on the doorknob.

"That we do," he replied smiling. "When we…acquired this place, I found this room and instantly knew it would be yours were you to ever visit. All I did was give it a coat of paint, I found the color suited my impression of you. I hope you enjoy it."

He opened the door and allowed her to walk in ahead of him. The room was just as breathtakingly beautiful as the rest of the house: crown molding and rich, hardwood floors. She smiled and flung herself onto the king sized canopy bed and just blissfully swept her eyes around the room; he'd painted it a pale buttery yellow…she loved it.

"What do you think?" He asked leaning against the door frame.

She hummed contentedly. "I think you should give up your plans of world domination and get into interior decorating instead. It's beautiful Klaus."

He laughed. "Glad you like it love. I'll leave you to get settled and rest."

"Mmm'kay," she mumbled, already feeling the pull of unconsciousness.

Caroline honestly believed she hadn't slept so good in weeks. Whether it was the long car ride, or finally being in New Orleans with Klaus, she didn't know, but she was entirely content. So when she finally felt her mind was awake and coherent, she realized she was being watched. Her heart wanted it to be Klaus, but her mind, and her senses, told her it was someone entirely different. She opened her eyes to see the other resident blonde staring at her from a chair across the room.

"You know, you're almost as creepy as your brother, Rebekah," Caroline quipped as she sat up.

"Good morning to you too sunshine," Rebekah replied, her voice a shade cold.

"You're not here to roll out the welcome wagon, I know you too well for that Rebekah, so what do you want?"

"I want to be sure that you're not going to break my brother's fragile heart. Because when he's upset, my siblings and I tend to pay for it, and I'd really rather get to know New Orleans again before I get the dagger."

Caroline huffed and climbed off the bed to stand facing Rebekah. "Look, I didn't come here to fight with you and I don't plan on playing Klaus. I care about him and I'm here to stay, so you're just going to have to deal with that." She finished and crossed her arms, hoping she'd made her point.

Rebekah smirked and stood, towering over Caroline with her high-heeled boots.

"Good. I always did kind-of like you Caroline. I believe that you do care about my brother, but consider yourself on probation with me. Don't slip up." She smiled and stalked out the door.

"That felt like progress," Caroline said to herself. She set about to get ready for the day, finding a bathroom attached to her room — thank God for that — and showering. She hummed a bit off key, a tune that just popped into her head, as she fixed her hair into a ponytail and put on something comfortable for the day. She opted for walking around the house barefooted; it was already starting to feel like home. She realized she didn't know the first place to start looking for Klaus and just as she was starting to wander from door to door, Rebekah's head popped out of what Caroline presumed was her room.

"He's in his studio, down the stairs, towards the back, last room on the right."

She disappeared back into her room before Caroline's muttered 'thanks' could fully reach her. She followed Rebekah's directions, glad that she hadn't run across anyone else on the way. She did indeed find him in what appeared to be an art studio, blank canvases leaning up against two walls and just about every flat surface covered with drop cloths, jars of paint, and paintbrushes. Her eyes took everything in but immediately focused on the man in the center of the room. Klaus was standing in front of an easel, working on what appeared to be the background of a new painting. She considered turning around to let him work in peace, but of course he knew she was there already.

"Please join me love. I trust you slept well?" He didn't break his stride, still mixing the right colors working them into the canvas.

She stepped into the room and found a settee that had yet to be splattered. She draped herself across it and kicked up her feet, content to watch him.

"I did actually. Though I could have done without the wakeup call from your sister."

He stopped for a moment to look her way, eyebrows raised.

"She was just making sure that I wasn't here to hurt you. Apparently I'm on probation," she said rolling her eyes.

He shook his head and returned to his painting. "Ah, my dear sister. I'm glad she didn't manage to scare you off then."

Caroline scoffed. "It would take a whole lot more than Rebekah to scare me away, Klaus. I'm dating you, isn't that proof enough?"

He laughed, "Touché. Feel free to talk about whatever you like love. It's never bothered me to listen to you, I know silence isn't your strong suit; a trait you share with my sister I believe."

She glared at him and stayed quiet just to spite him. He chuckled and decided to try to get her to talk to him.

"So tell me love, what exactly spurred you to come to New Orleans, besides me of course."

Her rebellious silence didn't last long. He smirked to himself when she started talking.

"Well, I can't say that it really just popped into my head or anything, the fact that you wanted me with you was always in the back of my mind. But it was just after Elena's brother died and she turned off her humanity. Damon and Stefan were trying to force her to turn it back on and Rebekah and Matt were attempting to study in the same house. I volunteered to help and left to get my flashcards but before I could, I ran into someone outside."

She cut off for a minute and Klaus glanced her way. She was looking out the window, pensive for the moment.

"Who was it, love?"

"You."

He turned around completely this time.

"Well, not you really. I thought it was you. Turns out, Silas could do a very good impersonation of you. He tried to tell me that you-he came back because I was always supposed to be with him-you-him. This is confusing. He started threatening me and I realized who it was. Silas had been trying to find Bonnie and wanted me to help him. He staked me…or I thought he did. When I came to, the stake was gone, like it had never been there. I ran back to my car and Matt was there. Except it wasn't Matt either, it was Silas again. This time, he threatened my mom if I didn't help him."

She felt a few tears slip down her face, not realizing until now how much that night had truly affected her. She heard a loud snap and looked up. Klaus was facing her, a broken paintbrush in his hand. He dropped the pieces and came to sit next to her.

"What about your painting?"

He wrapped his arm around her, guiding her to his side.

"It can wait. Finish your story, love; I want to hear how it ends." He wanted to try to comfort her, but his voice still growled.

She cleared her throat. "When I got home, mom was there and I thought for sure it was her. She acted like my mom. Bonnie eventually showed up, and she knew Silas's real face. She saw it wasn't my mom and warned me. I finally found her after Silas left, she nearly died Klaus. I injected her with my blood to bring her back."

He brushed his hand over her head, soothing her dark thoughts.

"I'm so sorry Caroline. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you from him." He kissed her head and held her tight.

"I was terrified, when I thought Silas was you."

"I know love. You should know that I'd never hurt you. I sooner end my own life."

"I know. I trust you Klaus. And yeah, I was afraid of Silas when he was you, but I was more afraid of what he made me see. I was afraid of how I felt for you and how much I really wanted to leave. Of course then when he threw me against the tree and threatened me, I was afraid for an entirely different reason," she said with a dark laugh.

"When Silas was you, I fully confronted the fact that I cared about you and wanted nothing more than to take a chance on you. After I got past that entire situation and with graduation around the corner, I made my decision to come to New Orleans and face my feelings for you with the real you."

"I suppose that does give me something to be thankful to Silas for. Perhaps I'll send him a fruit basket."

"Well, Bonnie froze him into a big Silas statue, so that could be a problem."

"A hammer and chisel then?"

She laughed and relaxed into him, glad for his presence.

Klaus flinched for a second underneath her and she had only a minute to wonder why before Hayley walked into the studio. Caroline heard her pause at the doorway, presumably to look around for Klaus, before her eyes must have settled on the two of them and she walked out. Caroline glanced at Klaus and got up to follow her.

Klaus sighed, knowing he had lost Caroline for the moment in her crusade to make allies of everyone. He returned to his painting. When he started the background, he hadn't had a subject in mind. But seeing the way Caroline looked as she gazed out the window, lost in the dark thoughts of her past, he knew he couldn't paint anything else.

"Hayley wait!" Caroline called as she sprinted after her. She was pretty quick for a pregnant girl.

She stopped, but didn't turn around.

Caroline caught up to her and looked her in the eyes. Hayley was immediately wary of her.

"Hey, can we talk?"

Hayley sighed and nodded, leading the way out to the back porch. She sat down, assuming Caroline would follow suit and start talking when she was good and ready. She absentmindedly placed her hand over the small swell of her stomach; it'd become a soothing motion for her.

"So, I don't exactly have a lot to say, but I wanted to clear the air between us, since we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything I've said to you or about you. I was angry about your relationship with Tyler, no matter how platonic it was; not because I was jealous, but because I wasn't jealous enough, not as a girlfriend should be, and I kinda took that out on you a bit. I also wanted you to know that I understand why you did what you did and there are no hard feelings…at least on my end; I can't exactly speak for you of course."

"That's what you call not having much to say?"

"Seriously?" Caroline replied exasperated.

Hayley laughed. "Look, I get it. You loved Tyler and you were falling for Klaus at the same time. I was new and I saw that. So really, no big deal. Love is hard. But I'm glad you've got each other now. I may not be Klaus's biggest fan, but I do know that keeping him happy will benefit everyone."

"Yeah that's probably true. One thing though, if you ever break my neck again or even think of betraying Klaus and this family, I'll break more than your neck, understood?"

Hayley laughed. "Yeah, I got'cha."

Caroline was looking right at Hayley, so when she turned her head to glance in the window of the house and smile, Caroline immediately picked up on it. Elijah had just walked past the window.

"Besides, I kinda have my own reasons for being here," Hayley said, her gaze still lingering on the window.

"I can see that," Caroline replied smiling.

Hayley whipped her head around to see Caroline's face. "Shut up!" She yelled and chucked a patio cushion at her. Caroline dodged it and laughed, glad to know that things were finally settled between them.

Klaus insisted on celebrating her 'victories' with Rebekah and Hayley and took Caroline for a night out in New Orleans. She didn't mind overly much, seeing as how she got to dress up a little for the occasion. He decided on taking her to Rousseau's, convincing himself that she should be aware of where the local vampires liked to hang out and where the witch Sophie Deveraux was most likely to be found. He also thought she might like to have a new friend in his confidant, Cami. They reminded him of each other and he thought perhaps Caroline might like to have a friend outside the house.

Caroline mused with appreciation that the dingy little bar did have a certain charm to it. She at least knew where she could get a decent drink. Klaus said he knew the bartender so when they walked in and she saw the gorgeous blonde doling out pints and shots, she turned a questioning glare his way.

"It's only a coincidence, love. I promise, you'll like Cami. Why don't you get to know her a bit while I run to the kitchen for a quick word with the witch. She needs to know you're here and that you're not in league with Marcel." He kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Back in a bit."

Caroline sighed and steeled herself to chat with Klaus's new friend. If she could make nice with Rebekah of all people, then she should be able to handle this human no problem. She made her way to the end of the bar where there were fewer people. She waited for the crowd to thin out before trying to order; it would make a chance at conversation a bit more natural. With only a few stragglers now practically clinging to the bar to remain upright, Cami made her way over to Caroline.

"What can I get you?"

"Scotch, neat and a bourbon on the rocks. My boyfriend should be back any minute for his."

"No problem," Cami replied somewhat distractedly. Apparently she hadn't noticed when she and Klaus had walked in.

Cami set the drinks down in front of her and began to turn away.

"I believe you're a friend of my boyfriend's actually. His name is Klaus," Caroline tried not to speak too loudly, for fear of any prying vampires.

Cami turned back around slowly to stare at the smiling blonde across from her. She held up a finger to tell her she'd be back in a second before she made sure one of the waitresses could take over the bar for a little while. Cami stepped out from behind it and motioned for Caroline to grab her drinks and follow her. They sat at a booth near the back, out of sight for the most part.

"So you're telling me that you are Klaus's girlfriend. Are you serious?"

"Yep. And don't bother trying to wrap your head around it; I'm not even sure I can really explain. But, I'm not here to talk about that. I just wanted to introduce myself, Caroline Forbes by the way. And…would you happen to know of a job opening?"

Cami gave her a dumbfounded look.

"What, you mean here? You want to work at the bar…when you most likely live in a mansion with Klaus."

"The money isn't the point. I desperately need something to do. I can't stay in that house all day every day. I adore Klaus, but we'll drive each other insane if we're together literally all the time. Not to mention that I should really ration my time around his sister."

Cami sat quietly for a minute, taking everything in and compartmentalizing as best as she could.

"Well, I bartend nights, so you could probably do days. I'll let Sophie know you're interested. She'll probably take you on." She looked away for a moment and then moved to stand. "I see your boyfriend coming back, so I suppose I'll leave you two alone."

"Cami wait. I know how things can get kinda overwhelming when you just keep pushing it aside, so if you ever need to talk, I promise I'll listen. Even if you want to complain about Klaus," she said with a smile.

Cami nodded and then made her way back to the bar. Klaus slid into the booth beside her not two seconds later. He didn't ask how her conversation with Cami went; from what he saw it appeared to have gone well. Instead, he asked her what she thought of the New Orleans night life and whether she really thought she'd enjoy her time spent there with him. Caroline practically waxed poetic about the sheer pulse of life surrounding her. With every glowing sentence she uttered about the city, Klaus's smile grew ever wider.

Fate has a funny way of making things happen, for just as Klaus made it to the bar to order them another round of drinks, Caroline looked up to see someone new occupying the space across from her.

"Can I help you?' She asked, sarcastic tone deep and obvious.

The man laughed. "Maybe you can. You see, my name is Marcel and I run this city. You're new here and you're hanging out with Klaus…I'd like to know who you are."

Caroline stiffened for a moment before she forced herself to relax. This was the moment for her to find out if she had any legitimate acting skills when it came to fooling someone that she wasn't attracted to, i.e. someone who wasn't Klaus.

"Caroline Forbes. I'm a family friend of the Mikaelsons…well, of Rebekah's mostly. It's my first night in New Orleans and she couldn't take me out to see everything, so she volunteered Klaus to do it. I don't think he's all that thrilled about it to be honest with you," she surprised herself at her ability to pull complete crap out of the air like it was nothing. Maybe she could handle this.

"Funny, I've known them a long time and they've never mentioned you."

Caroline was doing everything in her power to keep from flicking her eyes toward Klaus.

"Well, from what I've heard, it's been a while since they've been in New Orleans. I met Rebekah in the 20s in Chicago, long after they left this place behind," she finished with a sweet smile; 'trust me' it said.

Marcel contemplated what she said and looked towards the bar, Klaus was coming back.

"I'm sure the Mikaelsons will take good care of you while you're here, Caroline. But if there's anything you need, just let me know. I know everyone and everything that happens around here, remember that." He got up and left before she had the chance to respond.

Klaus returned only moments later, not yet daring to speak for fear of being overheard. He simply took her hand in his, led her out through the kitchen, and into the back alley. He waited for a few short minutes, listening to see if they were alone before speaking.

"You alright love?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. I think he just wanted to let me know who was in charge and that he's keeping an eye on me," she replied wrapping her arms around her torso.

"I have no doubt that he'll have you followed from now on. You'll have to keep a sharp eye out. That also means we can't necessarily be seen outside together all that much. Though I assume I can stop by and annoy you while you're working," he said smiling.

"How do you know about that?"

"Your voice travels love, I could hear your conversation with Cami back in the kitchen. I think your working here is an excellent idea. You can simultaneously keep busy and watch all the little vampires scurry around doing Marcel's bidding."

"That's true. I just hope they're all as dim as you think they are. I'm not the best spy, as you well know."

"Yes, but that could have had something to do with your attraction to who you were spying on."

"Hmm, maybe," she said, placing her finger to her chin in mock contemplation. "But I doubt it."

He glared at her and she just laughed. "Come on Mr. Self-assured. Let's go home." She looped her arm through his as they began walking out of the alley. "I can just hear my bed calling my name."

"I think you're mistaken love. I believe you're hearing _my_ bed calling your name."

She shoved him playfully and their laughter echoed off the buildings looming over them. Caroline knew that being in New Orleans, especially with Klaus, wasn't exactly the safest thing for her but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She belonged there and she'd take on anyone who would try to tell her otherwise.

**A/N: This chapter was a bit sprawling, but I really just wanted to get the introductions out of the way before going into the show. I'm going to be winging this the best I can but I make no guarantees. Thanks for reading, please review!**


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